Gun used in San Francisco pier shooting death was issued to a U.S. Bureau of Land Management ranger and had been stolen from his car

  • Francisco Sanchez is accused of shooting Kathryn Steinle
  • She was walking with her father when the Mexican allegedly shot her 
  • He's been deported five times and was said to be living in the U.S. illegally  
  • Government agency confirmed an agent's service gun had been used 
  • He had been on business in the California city when it was stolen 
  • Sanchez has pleaded not guilty to murdering Steinle  

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management said Wednesday one of its agent's service guns was used in the shooting death of a woman walking on a popular San Francisco pier.

BLM spokeswoman Dan Wilson said the weapon used to allegedly kill Kathryn Steinle' was issued to an agency ranger and was stolen from the agent's car while he was in San Francisco on business.

Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, who has been deported to his native Mexico five times and is suspected of living in the United States illegally, told television news stations he found the gun on the pier and it accidentally fired.  

Steinle, 32, was gunned down last week while strolling with her father along San Francisco's popular waterfront area.

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The U.S. Bureau of Land Management said the weapon used by Francisco Sanchez (pictured left in court on Tuesday) to allegedly gun down Kathryn Steinle on the San Franciso pier was issued to one of their agents before it was stolen from their car

Federal officials transferred Sanchez to San Francisco's jail in March to face a 20-year-old marijuana charge after he completed his latest prison term for entering the country illegally.

The San Francisco sheriff, citing the city's 'sanctuary city' policy, released Sanchez in April after prosecutors dropped the drug charge, despite an Immigration and Customs Enforcement request to hold him for federal authorities so deportation proceedings could begin.

He told two television stations who interviewed him in jail that he found the gun used in Steinle's killing wrapped in a shirt on the pedestrian pier she was walking on. 

Sanchez said the gun went off in his hands, and his public defender, Matt Gonzalez, said Tuesday that the San Francisco woman's death appeared accidental.

The shooting has touched off criticism from leading Republican lawmakers and from top Democrats, including California's U.S. senators. 

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told CNN that San Francisco was wrong to ignore the ICE detainer request and release Sanchez from custody.

'The city made a mistake not to deport someone that the federal government strongly felt should be deported,' Clinton said.

Sanchez, who has been deported to his native Mexico five times and is suspected of living in the United States illegally, told television news stations he found the gun on the pier and it accidentally fired. He is pictured being arrested following the deadly shooting 

Sanchez, who has been deported to his native Mexico five times and is suspected of living in the United States illegally, told television news stations he found the gun on the pier and it accidentally fired. He is pictured being arrested following the deadly shooting 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein called on San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to start cooperating with federal immigration officials who want to deport felons such as Sanchez.

'I strongly believe that an undocumented individual, convicted of multiple felonies and with a detainer request from ICE, should not have been released,' Feinstein said.

The mayor's office said it has reached out to Homeland Security officials to determine if there's a way to cooperate while still upholding the city's sanctuary policy. 

Sen. Barbara Boxer said she asked Gov. Jerry Brown if state law was followed in Sanchez's release.

San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi has defended Sanchez's release and the city law requiring his office to ignore ICE detainer requests. The sheriff said ICE could have obtained a warrant or court order to keep Sanchez in custody.

'ICE knew where he was,' Mirkarimi said Monday.

Liz Sullivan, left, and Jim Steinle, right, parents of Kate Steinle, fight back tears as they recall how their daughter was shot to death right in front of her father's eyes during a family outing

Liz Sullivan, left, and Jim Steinle, right, parents of Kate Steinle, fight back tears as they recall how their daughter was shot to death right in front of her father's eyes during a family outing

 THE SAN FRANCISCO PIER SUSPECT'S LONG RAP SHEET: JUAN FRANCISCO LOPEZ SANCHEZ'S CRIMINAL HISTORY 

Sanchez has a lengthy criminal history in the United States, even though he has been living in this country illegally 

Sanchez has a lengthy criminal history in the United States, even though he has been living in this country illegally 

May 1991: Convicted in Arizona of inhaling vapors. Sentenced to a month in jail.

1993: Convicted three times in Washington state on felony drug charges. Sentenced to about 14 months in jail.

June 1994: A U.S. immigration judge deports Sanchez to Mexico.

July 1994: Sentenced to 90 days in jail after Arizona court revokes his probation.

December 1995: Arrested on a $20 marijuana buy in San Francisco. A judge issued a $5,000 bench warrant for his arrest when Sanchez didn't show up in court.

July 1996: Convicted in Washington of felony possession of heroin. Sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.

April 1997: Deported to Mexico.

January 1998: Arrested by U.S. Border Patrol and deported to Mexico in February.

February 1998: Arrested by Border Patrol and sentenced to more than five years in federal prison.

March 2003: Deported to Mexico.

July 2003: Arrested by Border Patrol and sentenced to more than four years in prison.

June 2009: Deported to Mexico after completing sentence.

September 2009: Arrested in Texas, where he claimed to be a U.S. citizen born in Arizona. Sentenced to nearly four years in prison.

March 26, 2015: Released to San Francisco Sheriff's Department on a 1995 drug charge.

March 27: Immigration and Customs Enforcement issues a "detainer" on Sanchez, requesting the sheriff's office hold him for an extra 48 hours if they decide to release him. San Francisco district attorney's office decides to drop the case because it is old and minor.

April 15: Sanchez is released by sheriff. There are no active arrest warrants or court orders requiring the sheriff's office to keep him, they say. ICE is not notified.

July 1: Steinle dies from gunshot wounds while walking along Pier 14 in San Francisco with her father. Sanchez is arrested.

July 6: The district attorney's office charges Sanchez with murder.

July 7: Sanchez pleads not guilty. 

(source: Associated Press) 

 

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